My LA Adventure

My Los Angeles

 Adventure. xo

I can still feel the utter excitement and anxiety of watching my car get picked up

at a local supermarket parking lot back home in Newburyport as it made its 

journey to the West Coast. Pablo the truck driver was 3 hours early when he called me

 at 5:45am and said that he was on 95 and would be here in 20 minutes. I ran out of 

bed in attempt to make myself look not look like E.T. and drove my Toyota Camry

that was filled with pictures, clothes, fake plants, coffee table books and more clothes

to be picked up and shipped to California.

Seeing my car lifted onto the truck was one of the first times that it actually started

to settle in that I was moving my life to the opposite side of the country to pursue

a dream in Fashion and Entertainment. LA was everything I expected it to be but

definitely an adjustment. I wouldn't necessarily say I've been "sheltered" but have

never had to make a big transition like moving to a big city all by myself before.

Navigating this huge city, meeting new friends and networking is hard as well as 

building a name for myself in a city were so many come here with big dreams

and they let them crumble because they get caught up in the "Hollywood lifestyle".

I for sure have my fun but make sure I keep my eye on the prize and work

hard everyday.

I have a love hate relationship with Los Angeles; the opportunities are endless,

the weather is amazing and I've met some amazing people here, but the traffic is

horrendous, it is a little more laid back than I like, and I miss my family and friends.

Coming here has been an experience that is amazing/challenging/scary/exciting,

and the six months I've been here have flown by. While I do not yet have my own

TV Show or Clothing Line like I one day dream of having, I have had some amazing

experiences as well as some that were not so pleasant (borderline embarrassing,

upsetting and stressful). 

Allow me to share with you some of my peaks & pits of

my adventure in Los Angeles..

Scoring my first interview/audition for a Fashion Reality TV

Show only to leave an impression on the producers by

being walked to the door and falling down a WHOLE flight

of stairs in front of everyone because my heel slipped on the floor.

I played it cool as everyone thought I probably broke my leg and

walked out where I was convinced I broke my butt (can you do that?)

and cried in the car til I was able to laugh about it 5 minutes later.

Nailing two amazing Fashion Internships! 

*One with a Fashion PR Firm right at the start of award

season were I got to see the in's and the out's of the

fashion chaos during The Oscars and The Golden Globes.

*And another with a great Celebrity Fashion Stylist we we

dressed some of Hollywood's favorite Television and

Movie Stars for red carpet events, magazine shoots

and TV appearances.

Becoming Best Friends with a fellow intern from Paris where

we spent our time indulging driving around exploring the city,

pulling pranks at the office, hiking, drinking (how did we end up

at The Abbey?), lounging poolside, dancing, pulling more 

pranks, meeting new friends and eating froyo.

Meeting and being in the presence of some of my 

idols (world famous fashion stylists) at events or

just out and about. Something I love about this city

is you never know who your going to meet or run

into whether your going out to dinner or getting your cup

of morning coffee. 

Being in 489572 fender benders and having my car broken 

into twice in three months, once on my birthday. Woof. Who ever

said Massachusetts drivers are bad have never seen people drive in LA.

Absolutely Terrible.

Waking up the morning after I got here and going for a

hike by myself at the famous Runyon Canyon was a great moment.

 I got there on the early side (Most of LA doesn't wake up until 10am) 

so it was pretty quiet and standing near the Hollywood Sign and 

looking over the city gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment that 

I had arrived and was ready to start my adventure.

I have had such amazing experiences and met 

so many great people in the 6 months that I have lived here,
I know that the next 6 will only be filled with more

excitement, lessons to be learned and great opportunities.

Thank you so much for following my journey!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sarah 

Dress to Impress: Springtime Edition

Dress to Impress: 

Springtime Edition*

Out of all the seasons, Springtime is by far my

favorite. It is the awakening of warmer

weather, an amazing smell in the air of cut grass

and blooming flowers, and the season to bare

those legs that have been hidden all winter long.

Although I am a lover of shorts and skirts,

there is nothing like wearing a beautiful

dress to ring in the new, more beautiful weather.

The colors are brighter, patterns are bolder and

silhouettes a little more feminine and flattering.

If your still looking for a couple springtime numbers

to throw on for all kinds of occasions, here are a few

of my faves. xo

Ann Taylor
$148

Michael Stars
Revolveclothing.com, $158

Banana Republic
$130

Jil Sander
Barneys NY, $1300

Calvin Klein
Piperlime.com, $130

Robert Rodriquez
Intermix, $565

Ulla Johnson
ScoopNYC $230


Happy Spring Dress Shopping!

It's Chic to Be a Geek!

 

 

One of my favorite trends that has stayed around longer than I

anticipated is the School Girl and Geek trend. There is

something fun yet sexy and sophisticated about the glasses, collars

and colorful A-line skirts. It doesn't look like this trend is going

anywhere and most of the pieces you can purchase are timeless,

so feel free to indulge because they will be way

more fun to wear in warmer weather.

 

 

The Geeky Frames
Dolce and Gabbana,$365

The Knee High Sock
Free People, $24
 

The Classic Mary-Jane Pump
Manolo Blahnik, $685

 

The Collared Blouse
Topshop, $70

 

The A-Line Skirt
Ann Taylor, $58


Hope you enjoyed!
xoxo SN

 

 

 

Dress Your Way to Sucess

Dress For Success

There are a couple things that I am known for; wearing a lot

of black, laughing at my own jokes long before anyone else does

 and overdressing 99.9% of the time. While I have been

trying to work on the first two that I listed,

something I will never change is the way that

I overdress. Whether it's going to get coffee, school

or a casual dinner with my boyfriend, I prefer to be

dressed my best at all times.

Where else can dressing nice help you in life?

In the work place.

Dressing well in my personal opinion is one of

the best ways to help you on your route to success.

Many people believe that companies don't care what you look

like, which is true, however, when your working for them

you are a representation of the company and looking

well put together and polished looks professional and

organized.

Dressing well at work or an interview can

benefit you because..

* It makes you look put-together.

Organization at work

is key regardless of the industry, and if you look

like a hot mess, what are they going to think your work

is going to be like?

*It shows Effort.

Anyone can roll out of bed,

 put on a frumpy grey business suit

they just bought at Macy's and throw their hair

in a bun. Putting effort into looking good from

 your shoes to your jewelry shows

that you care about how you present yourself.

Taking the time to make sure you look good

before you head into the office makes you a

good representation of the company, being a good

representation makes you a valuable asset.

*You Make a Stylish Impression

Why do some people like to be the last person

to be interviewed? That's because they want to

be the last one the person spoke with and leave

a memorable impression. However if your dressed

to the nine, chances are you are going to leave a stylish

impression which can help you be chosen

for projects later down the road. Looks aren't

everything, but when you have the brains and

the looks, your a double threat.

The Worst

One of the quickest ways to get fired
is to dress inappropriately at work. Some of
your male co-works may like it, but exposing
too much at work can lead to sexual
harassment which now makes you a liability
for the company.

Want to age about 40 years, try on this
frumpy business suit and snooze yourself
to death.

The Best

 Cute dress are always a must around
the office, just make sure they are long enough
and do not have any high slits on them.
$148 J Crew

Having a classic Pencil Skirt in a variety
of colors should be in every girls closet.
$88 White House Black Market


Good Luck!

xoxo.
 Sarah

What I won't go without This Fall!

Fashion Pieces I won't Go

Without This Fall!

It isn't everyday you walk into a store or log

onto a website that has everything your looking for

that won't accompany you in maxing out

your credit card. I am a lover of all things extravagant

and nice, but my budget doesn't always allow me 
to shop that way. 

I love Barney's, Neiman's and Bergdorf's just as much

as the next girl, but it wasn't until a couple years ago

I stumbled upon Piperlime.com which opened the door

to amazing shopping with a fabulous price point.

 They have an amazing range of designers and brands

that range from the $$$$$ to $$, which is perfect for us

girls who like to find a great bargain. 
(For you New Yorkers they also just opened

their first retail store in SoHo)!

There are a couple pieces I will not go without this fall

and Piperlime.com is my mecca to fall shopping without

breaking the bank.

Chic Bootie

MICHAEL Michael Kors$195.00

A Pleather of Leather

(All of these pieces are Vegan Leather!

They look fab and are more budget friendly)

Dex$59.00

Sanctuary$108.00

Ark and Co.$89.00



A Go-To Sweater Dress

Sanctuary$118.00

Colorful Bottoms

Tinley Road$49.00

Levi's$78.00

Hazel$74.00



A Pop Of Peplum

C.Luce$64.00

A Chunky Knit

Threads for Thought$89.00

Beautiful Bobbles

Kate Spade New York $123.99

Kenneth Cole New York$28.00

House of Harlow 1960$75.00

 A Touch of Cream

Tinley Road$98.00

Pim + Larkin$79.00

Tinley Road$69.00

Happy Fall Shopping!

XOXO

A Style Tribute: My Grandmother

A Style Tribute: My Grandmother

You always wonder what effect you will have on people 
once you are gone. You hope that people will look 

back and think of you as a good person, a 

hard worker, someone who was dedicated to their 
family and never gave up on what you wanted. 

We all want to leave some sort of impression on the

world, and since recently losing someone very dear to me, 
it made me think of the impression she had on me.

My grandmother Wanda Alber was born in Brooklyn, NY

but if you saw her from across the room, you would think

she came from Upper East Side royalty. She was always

dressed beautifully, and walked the room with such poise and

elegance. Growing up, one of things I looked most forward to

when visiting her was playing dress up in her closet. She had

the most beautiful Italian leather shoes and handbags, cashmere

sweaters, big hats and sunglasses.

Some of her favorite things included

Fresh Peach Ice Cream from Four Sea's in Cape Cod, Italian

leather belts, shoes and bags, Blood Mary's,  the color lime green, 

tall glasses of ice cold water and the original 

Brooks Brothers located on 346 Madison Avenue 

in New York City.

Something I always loved about Wanda was her fashion
sense and how put together and polished she always looked.

Here are a few of my favorite fashion staples she
was known for..

Oversized Earrings
$425,  Herve Van Der Straeten

Indulge in Cashmere
$398, Ralph Lauren

Don't Be Afraid of Color
$198, Equipment
(Citronelle was one of Wanda's favorite colors)

Italian Leather is Worth Every Penny
$240, Prada

Wanda passed away on Sunday, August 26th 2012.

Despite no longer being with us, something that will always

stay forever vivid in my mind if her sense of style and grace that she

possessed her whole life. 

I love you Wanda and miss you already.